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SUMMARY:Toward a Psychology of Atheism: Dimensions and Types of Non-Religi
 osity - Dr. Nicholas J. S. Gibson\, University of Cambridge
DTSTART:20110527T120000Z
DTEND:20110527T130000Z
UID:TALK31396@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Carissa Sharp
DESCRIPTION:Although various labels exist to describe non-religious and se
 cular positions\, such as “atheist” or “agnostic”\, these are demo
 nstrably misunderstood or misapplied by laypersons. Even where they are co
 rrectly used\, it is clear that\, for example\, atheists vary in their emo
 tional responses to religion\, their intellectual interest in religion\, a
 nd their behavioural repertoire with regard to religious individuals and i
 nstitutions. While many scales exist to measure aspects of religiosity\, n
 o current instrument exists that measures different aspects of non-religio
 sity. This paper presents data from a new set of scales designed to meet t
 his need. Further\, rather than attempting to generate a typology of non-r
 eligiosity from philosophical grounds\, data from these scales is used to 
 allow a typology to emerge empirically\, thus capturing non-religiosity as
  it is lived. Cluster analysis allowed the determination of several statis
 tically distinguishable types of non-religiosity\, such as so-called “mi
 litant atheists”\, “disinterested non-believers”\, and “emotional 
 atheists”. Each type showed a characteristic pattern of attitudes\, beli
 efs\, behaviours\, and history with regard to religious ideas and religiou
 s people. In contrast to the empirically derived typology\, self-reported 
 identifications such as “atheist”\, “agnostic”\, and “spiritual-
 but-not-religious” were considerably less powerful as predictors of grou
 p differences. 
LOCATION:PPSIS Seminar Room (Free School Lane)
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